The World’s Tallest Chick-fil-A contains five levels, from a packed cellar to a rooftop with views of the One World Tower, and those floors hold three stairwells, two elevators, and one set of front doors opening up to a sidewalk that shuffles over a half million pedestrians to their NYC destinations. And in February 2020 that restaurant at 144 Fulton St. recorded its best month of business…
In the next month, as the pandemic closed its hands on the throat of the city, like all businesses, the crew at Fulton St. tried its best to adapt and survive, but unfortunately closed its doors in April. When it reopened by June, a skeleton crew of veterans unlocked the doors to serve their community under the uncertain shadow of COVID.
One of those returning Team Members was Deja Bruton.
No stranger to change and adaptation, Deja faced the struggle of rebuilding a business in a pandemic with her trademark optimism.
Adopted at two months by her mom, the only family she’s ever known, she’s lived in multiple boroughs of NYC, spending time in Virginia and Pennsylvania, learning to adjust each time to pressures and stress.
While she loved the south, “the people were so friendly,” her brief time in PA was freezing cold, and once on a walk to her school, a compassionate ambulance driver picked her up to drive her the rest of the way.
In Queens, she spent the days isolated from her friends in a community completely different than the Bronx. The toughest time in New York were the middle school years in Manhattan, where they stayed in a shelter, and she developed a friendship with the driver on her M1 bus route, who let her ride for free, even when she had money to pay.
“Moving around was not easy growing up but it definitely made me stronger as a person and honestly I’m not afraid of change, all the time I try different stuff and that’s at the foundation of why.”
Her love of reading developed in childhood as a “coping mechanism because we moved around so much and many times ‘pretend life’ was better than reality. When I was younger I was obsessed with the Magic Tree House books and Judy Moody.”
Today, even as she confidently leads the front counter at Fulton St., she still struggles with anxiety, and finds relief in fiction.
“Honestly…I feel uneasy at least 80 percent of the time, but music helps a lot, getting lost in the lyrics, and I like to go in my back yard sometimes with some tea and my book…”
Her mom’s persistence and endurance in making sure Deja had what she needed has always been an inspiration for her, in spite of the struggles. They don’t always have the greatest relationship anymore, "but my mom made things happen for me. We had a lot of rough times, but I never went hungry and she sacrificed so much for me to have anything I wanted, and for that I am grateful, and if I ever become a mom, I aspire to be as giving.”
But remembering the moves of her childhood also recalls painful memories of classmates committed to teasing her.
“I was bullied a lot in all of my school years for just being different and for my skin being dark, for not having long hair—honestly, it was such a sad time because at one point I hated myself. I had to learn to cancel out the noise and love the skin I'm in..and I still struggle sometimes.”
Growing up being judged by appearances, she’s passionate about being kind and compassionate to others. “Sometimes people think they know someone, but they really don’t.” It also forged in her a resilience for facing change, but also the challenges of starting over.
Rebuilding the business of Fulton St. CFA was an overwhelming task, and one that seemed hopeless for many months. With no drive-thru, and the towering office buildings of lower Manhattan empty, the usually busy lobby full of noisy guests became a nervous waiting room, mere handfuls of patrons, separated in silence.
Knowing what the business was like before the pandemic, Deja arrived to work, shift after shift, consistently offering Chick-fil-A hospitality to guests concerned for their livelihoods and their health, even as she dealt with her own fears.
“It was so sad to see people dying in mass amounts, but I’m just grateful that my mom was safe through it all and I hope she continues to be safe.”
As the restaurant slowly returns to its earlier vitality, she applied the lessons of the year-long struggle.
“The way it just altered life around us is mind boggling. Things I took for granted that I never appreciated, I missed doing especially during quarantine, like working and being able to go places whenever I want, standing next to people, even having my face exposed, little things that didn’t matter before are all the most important now.”
During the rebuilding of both the staff and the business, the leadership of Fulton St. offered Deja growth opportunities and new duties, and she responded with excellence every time, receiving a promotion from Shift Lead to the Team Lead for the entire Front of House.
She builds training and orientation plans for new Team Members, and strategizes with the directors on how to deploy the staff for each shift, while also attending to the needs of the busy guests.
“Honestly I didn’t come here with the mindset that I’d ever be anyone’s boss, but over time that changed…everything I set out to do here so far I have achieved…I’ve made friends with more than one guest at CFA; they come back calling me by name, reaching for hugs, and honestly that makes me happy. It costs zero dollars to be a decent human being and having people come looking forward to seeing me makes me happy.”
Finding consistency in her life and a place where she belongs has not only brought happiness, but also forged a possible path to her future.
“I’m only 23 right now but I’m working towards having my own place, being debt free by 25, then saving money toward a new place, some traveling, then settling down and starting a family and making our own memories.”
The World’s Tallest Chick-fil-A also holds some of the world’s best dreams.
